The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20121, is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and…

The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20121, is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth (ages 11 to 24) victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Legal assistance is assistance in: a) divorce, parental rights, child support, tribal, territorial, immigration, employment, administrative agency, housing, campus, education, healthcare, privacy, contract, consumer, civil rights, protection or other injunctive proceedings, related enforcement proceedings, and other similar matters; B) criminal justice investigations, prosecutions, and post-conviction matters (including sentencing, parole, and probation) that impact the victims safety, privacy, or other interests as a victim; C) alternative dispute resolution, restorative practices, or other processes intended to promote victim safety, privacy, and autonomy, and offender accountability, regardless of court involvement; or D) post-conviction relief proceedings in state, local, tribal, or territorial court with respect to a conviction of a victim relating to or arising from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or SEX trafficking victimization of the victim. Through this continuation legal assistance to victims project, the central new york victim assistance project (a project of the legal aid society of mid-new york, incorporated) will provide comprehensive civil legal services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking across a 12-county area in central new york (broome, cayuga, chenango, cortland, delaware, herkimer, jefferson, lewis, madison, oneida, oswego, and otsego counties). The project will provide civil legal services to victims in the areas of economic stability, including divorces, custody matters, support matters, protective orders, immigration issues, health law issues, privacy issues, employment and/or school matters, eviction and foreclosure defense, bankruptcies, crime victim advocacy, and post-conviction relief (if related to the clients victimization). The following products will be developed during the project period: 1) pocket-sized county-by-county resource booklets for victims; and 2) a project flyer listing the types of services available to victims.